Sam Bradford Tops Rams Salary Cap List

by Howard Balzer

As the Rams prepare to cut their roster to 53 players by 5 p.m. Saturday, the salary cap plays a role in some of the decisions that will be made.
When linebacker Na'il Diggs and his $1.25 million salary were released Monday, it was the best of possible worlds from the team's standpoint because they are able to save that money against the cap while his place in the starting lineup is taken by Brady Poppinga, who counts just $525,000 against the cap.

The Rams would not have released long snapper Chris Massey unless they believed rookie Jake McQuaide could do the job. If the Rams were intent on replacing Massey, they wouldn't have paid him the $500,000 roster bonus he was due on July 29. That money counts this year's cap as "dead money."

Currently, the top 51 players count against the $120.375 million cap, but that changes when the regular season starts. At that point, the 53-man roster will count, plus players that are on reserve/injured, reserve/physically unable to perform or that were released after reaching injury settlements.

Salaries paid to the eight-man practice squad also counts. This year, practice-squad players are paid $5,700 a week, the equivalent total of $96,900 for the season. Thus, the entire squad counts $775,200 against the cap.

An item on profootballtalk.com Monday listed the Rams as being $750,000 under the cap prior to the release of Diggs. Adding his $1.25 million salary would put the Rams $2 million under.

NFLPA figures (it should be noted that the union is sometimes off on some cap calculations) have the Rams at slightly more than $119 million for their current top 51 players. That total does not include dead money for Massey or other players that have been cut.

One proviso of the new collective bargaining agreement gives teams the option of having $3 million in additional cap room this year by taking up to $1 million off the cap charge for up to three players with five or more accrued seasons in the league. If the team takes advantage of that, the money will be charged against the years 2014-17 and spread out however the club decides.

It appears likely the Rams have exercised their ability to increase the cap this year.
Of the current top 51 Rams players, only 28 have cap charges of $1 million or more. Having said that, selecting in the top two picks of three straight drafts has resulted in those players -- quarterback Sam Bradford, tackle Jason Smith and defensive end Chris Long - counting a combined $37.765 million (31.5 percent) against this year's cap.
That total jumps to $43.128 million in 2012, the final year of Long's contract, and when the cap isn't expected to increase significantly.

The next three players in the Rams' hierarchy - running back Steven Jackson, cornerback Ron Bartell and center Jason Brown - count a combined $21.902 million this year. The result is that those top six players account for virtually half ($59.667 million) of this year's cap.

The club's frequently stated goal has been to build the roster through the draft and be able to retain those players for their second contract. That philosophy could be tested after next year when Long, cornerback Bradley Fletcher and middle linebacker James Laurinaitis become unrestricted free agents along with Bartell, and other older players including kicker Josh Brown, defensive tackle Fred Robbins, defensive end James Hall and safety Craig Dahl.

After this season, punter Donnie Jones, wide receiver Donnie Avery and tight end Billy Bajema will be free agents.

Following are the NFLPA salary-cap figures for the current Rams roster, not including undrafted free agents:

Re: Sam Bradford Tops Rams Salary Cap List

Well by these numbers Bradford doesn't top our salary cap list, Chris Long does.

I think the Rams will find a way to bring back their core players. By 2013 a lot of the players near the top of the list will be be able to be cut or have their contracts restructured pretty easily - Fred Robbins, AJ Feeley, Justin Bannan, Jacob Bell, Josh Brown, Jason Brown (a lot of them are probably FA before then anyway). Donnie Jones is a FA this coming off-season.

Then there will be a group that if I had to guess would probably take a pay cut but if not would be cut - a 30 y.o. Jackson and Jason Smith among them.

This will be offset by of course new additions and big contracts we have to give out to Long, Fletcher, etc. But really next year should be the worst, as Long's new contract may very well pay him less than his rookie contract.

Edit to add: I forgot to mention the group that while not near the top of the list is still overpaid for being backups/special teamers - James Butler, Chamberlain, Foster, Hank Fraley, and some others.

2 years is a long time in the NFL, and I think the Rams have the ability to play with the figures to keep our young stars in STL for a 2nd contract.

Re: Sam Bradford Tops Rams Salary Cap List

Interesting to see what our numbers look like financially. What jumps out right away is Chris Long's salary is more than Sam's which should of changed the article name and Justin Bannan is on there twice, which I assume is someone else just his name posted twice on there. I'm thinking this list will come into play well more than once on our team's journey to trim down to the 53 man roster.

Re: Sam Bradford Tops Rams Salary Cap List

The number that jumps out to me is:

Josh Brown 3,556,176

I don't care if he can kick a sixty yard field goal. Imagine where that money could go at a REAL postion! I say release him next year, draft some kid with a strong leg for $500- $750. and put that money towards a receiver.

Re: Sam Bradford Tops Rams Salary Cap List

Josh Brown is making BANK, but all it will take to earn it is to nail a few game winning kicks, against the Seahawks would be nice, maybe the last second kick in the Super Bowl vs the Patriots... oh revenge is best served cold, very cold in this hypothetical case.

Re: Sam Bradford Tops Rams Salary Cap List

In the last 3 years the Rams have scored 696 points. 300 of those points were off the foot of Josh Brown. The kicker was not only a real position but for some of the old Rams' game it was the only position. : )

Re: Sam Bradford Tops Rams Salary Cap List

Originally Posted by mikhal5569

The number that jumps out to me is:

Josh Brown 3,556,176

I don't care if he can kick a sixty yard field goal. Imagine where that money could go at a REAL postion! I say release him next year, draft some kid with a strong leg for $500- $750. and put that money towards a receiver.

I have seen what a bad kicker can do, no thank you. We need to keep josh and donnie both because kickers and punters can break a team if they suck.

Re: Sam Bradford Tops Rams Salary Cap List

We could trade AJ Feeley for a decent reciever and keep the bargain basement priced Thad Lewis.

Ron Bartell seems overpriced too.

1. Yes.
2. Well, that is quite true. He was brought in to be the tutor and possible starter if Sam wasn't ready for the WCO. We're pretty screwed if Sam goes down anyway, so we might as well go all in, I guess. Maybe we could grab whatever QB NE sheds for the minimum...

3. Football outsiders had an article rating the CB's last year and Bartell was pretty much the #5 CB in the league across the board. Still overpriced? Fletcher was somewhere in the 40's I believe, though I hope he'll improve on that this year with some added pass rush help from Chris going nuts and Quinn looking for his first taste of QB flesh since 2009.

As for Brown, if we get into the same situation that NE regularly found itself in back when they were actually winning in the postseason, would you rather have Brown back there or some rook? Give me the clutch guy who can bang it through from anywhere inside the 40(LOS).

My own thoughts:

I thought Sam counted something over $20M this year due to his delayed signing bonus... dunno. Happy if he's only in the low teens.

I thought Chris was lower, but we could always extend him now, though better to do that next year.

Does Bell's salary reflect what it was going to be, or what it is now?

Extend Donnie "the Leg" Jones, and save 500k on this year's cap.

Dahl... $1.6M, Butler $1.2M. Bet only one makes the cut.

If we're desperate, Bajema's a candidate to get cut/signed for the minimum. $300K savings?

Chamberlain's gone.

Gilyard at $588K... doubt it. More than starters Gibson & Amendola.

Foster's $1.2M could be expendible if we can count on Ojinnaka.

Scott counts $635k, Ah You's at $525k while Sims and Selvie are in the $460-$75k range. All in the top 53. If we carry 8 linemen, 2 of them are gone.

Re: Sam Bradford Tops Rams Salary Cap List

Am I the only one that thinks Jason Smith should restructure or be cut/traded? He's making LT money to play RT. I may be wrong, but couldn't we sign the best RT in the NFL for less money than he's making? Saffold is making TEN MILLION DOLLARS a year less to play the position Smith is supposed to be playing. Saffold is getting robbed, and Smith is laughing all the way to the bank. Something is seriously wrong with that situation.

Re: Sam Bradford Tops Rams Salary Cap List

Originally Posted by TekeRam

1. Yes.
2. Well, that is quite true. He was brought in to be the tutor and possible starter if Sam wasn't ready for the WCO. We're pretty screwed if Sam goes down anyway, so we might as well go all in, I guess. Maybe we could grab whatever QB NE sheds for the minimum...

3. Football outsiders had an article rating the CB's last year and Bartell was pretty much the #5 CB in the league across the board. Still overpriced? Fletcher was somewhere in the 40's I believe, though I hope he'll improve on that this year with some added pass rush help from Chris going nuts and Quinn looking for his first taste of QB flesh since 2009.

As for Brown, if we get into the same situation that NE regularly found itself in back when they were actually winning in the postseason, would you rather have Brown back there or some rook? Give me the clutch guy who can bang it through from anywhere inside the 40(LOS).

My own thoughts:

I thought Sam counted something over $20M this year due to his delayed signing bonus... dunno. Happy if he's only in the low teens.

I thought Chris was lower, but we could always extend him now, though better to do that next year.

Does Bell's salary reflect what it was going to be, or what it is now?

Extend Donnie "the Leg" Jones, and save 500k on this year's cap.

Dahl... $1.6M, Butler $1.2M. Bet only one makes the cut.

If we're desperate, Bajema's a candidate to get cut/signed for the minimum. $300K savings?

Chamberlain's gone.

Gilyard at $588K... doubt it. More than starters Gibson & Amendola.

Foster's $1.2M could be expendible if we can count on Ojinnaka.

Scott counts $635k, Ah You's at $525k while Sims and Selvie are in the $460-$75k range. All in the top 53. If we carry 8 linemen, 2 of them are gone.

I'm fine with The Rams cloning Bannan. Just another example of Spags being on the cutting edge of DL technology.

Feeley has been one of the pre-season pleasant surprises,imo. With a deeper backfield, I'd like The Rams chances of keeping the ship afloat with AJ if Sam got dinged, heaven forbid.

Re: Sam Bradford Tops Rams Salary Cap List

Jason smith is the number that really jumps out at me, as does chris long. The key is that those really high picks (before the new cba) really kill you cap wise unless the guys are stars. Jason smith needs to take a huge step up this year. Josh brown is not overpaid.